Thailand Diaries #1 – Phuket

If you have been following us on our Instagram (and if you’re not, haw haye, please do so @blogthegoodlife), you would know that we we were vacationing in Thailand last week. It was an incredible trip and such an awesome getaway, we would recommend you all to do so, if you have the means. We spent four days in Phuket and three in Bangkok and it was wonderful. In this post we will take you through all four days in Phuket, links for things are included where necessary.

All our travel arrangements were made by Blissful Escape. We travelled on a package for PKR 120,000 that included round trip flights, accommodations, a day trip to Koh Phi Phi island (with snorkeling), airport transfers and visas. We carried an amount in dollars for all additional expenses. So let’s take a trip to Phuket, yes?

Day 1 – After our flight from Karachi to Bangkok and then Bangkok to Phuket, we felt like we had been awake forever but it was only noon in Phuket. There was still an hour to checking in at our hotel so we decided to walk around the area and eat our first meal. That was my first Pad Thai and I still think it was the best I had eatwen because it was from a street cafe not the fancy shmancy stuff. We then checked into the hotel, a task which took forever because there were so many people and then we just crashed to sleep off the jet lag. In the evening we took a tuk-tuk to Patong Beach and had Starbucks (yes, very original I know) and then had a dinner of noodles and onion rings at Cafe Merlin. Now personally, I don’t think the food was that good, but the ambience, the refreshing sea air, it all made for a very relaxing first night in Phuket. After this we returned to our hotel room because we had a very early start for our day trip to Koh Phi Phi Island but mostly cuz I was feeling old 😛

Day 2 – Rise and shine! Today was our day trip to Koh Phi Phi island and I think we got up at 6:30 am because our transport was going to arrive at 7:10. After a sad breakfast of toast and what passed for chai we made our way to the lobby and then we were on our way to the harbour! There were two Indian couples with us so Amna and I felt woefully single but hey! Once we made it through the winding streets of Phuket and to the harbor we got ready to get on the cruise liner. Amna bought a waterproof case for her phone because obvs pics were necessary and soon we were on our way. Traveler Tip: No one tells you how cold the air conditioning on the cruise is and Amna and I wrapped ourselves in towels because it was so chilly so keep a shrug or a hoodie. Or go out on the deck and catch some rays like we did.

Because certain people had paid for certain parts of the tour, we were transferred to another boat for the snorkeling part of the trip. The boat went around Maya Beach where the Leo DiCaprio film The Beach was shot. The scenes were breathtaking, you almost expected the Black Pearl to come around from any corner, Orlando Bloom looking all bad ass on it. Amna and I didnt want to snorkel since we had already done that in Karachi and the waiting line was too long. Plus there is something awks about seeing the Indian families looking at each other awkwardly before going in the water. So I stayed on the boat and read while Amna walked around and took pictures.

From the bay, the boat brought us to Koh Phi Phi island which felt like Pier 39 in San Francisco, it was THAT touristy. We were told to come back to the boat by 2:10 pm. There was a lunch served for us at the resort and it was really bad. Cold chicken and spaghetti and fish and a selection of fruit. To be honest, one shouldn’t expect culinary excellence on cruises like these anyway. Amna and I ate quickly and then went down to the beach to swim and take pictures.

After hanging out by the beach we came back to boat which brought us to the harbour by 4 pm and then the van took us back to the hotel. After resting for a bit we headed out to eat. We had no idea where we’ll go so we just walked along the Patong Beach and then ended up at The Artist Bar and Restaurant (mainly because it looked very fancy and we are all about good looks, good looks and good looks). This place quickly became our favorite. There was a super fun Australian family of five (three daughters and parents) also eating in the place and since Amna and I were posing to take pictures, one of their daughters Hannah asked to take her picture so we obliged. The food was SO good! I ordered a Penang curry and Amna got Sweet and Sour Chicken and then we also had cheesecake which was so good, we heard angels sing.

After this we took a walk to Bangla Road which was so similar to the Freemont Street experience in Las Vegas or any road along the French Quarter in New Orleans. The sights, and sounds were loud and fun and both of us were just taking it all in. After this, we bought some donor kebab and walked home. The best thing about Phuket was how safe it as to walk back to the hotel at that hour and no one cat called or followed you.

Day 3- From our walks the previous day Amna and I decided we will get Thai massages at this parlor very aptly called Let’s Relax. The massages were 600 baht each for 60 minutes and oh em gee we had no idea what we were in for. We walked to the parlor around 12:30 pm, paid up and then were told to wait in the lounge. They served us the most refreshing sherbet which I think was ice cream soda but Amna thinks I am tripping. Then we were taken to a room with sinks set into the ground. There, the masseuses washed our feet and gave us slippers to wear. They took us to the second floor and to a room which had two mattresses and silk pyjamas to change into. The corridor was decked out in candles and bowls of orchids floating in water and the mood was so Zen, that I felt all my tensions slipping away. After we changed into the pyjamas, the masseuses got to work. Using their hands and elbows and a mixture of kneading and rotating movements they gave us the most insane massages ever. For those who’re not comfortable with being touched directly, not to worry, they put a giant towel on you and then proceed to make the moves. Towards the end they used a hot press and spritzed a peppermint spray on your back that felt SO good, it’s a miracle we didn’t fall asleep then and there. Once it as done, we came back to the lobby where they gave us green tea and cookies and sent us along our way.

By this time it was 2 pm and we had planned to see the Big Buddha and Wat Chalong temples. We came back to the hotel, dressed and then went out to find a taxi to take us there. We hired one for 1500 baht and since there were ten minutes for him to pick us up we treated ourselves to ice cream cones from a parlor that was a 1 minute walk from our hotel.

The Big Buddha Temple was so majestic and beautiful, I felt blessed to be there. He looks out over all of Phuket from the highest point and the views were just breathtaking. There is a dress code necessary when you go there and they provide you with sarongs if your skirt is too shirt or if your top is too revealing. We walked around taking pictures and it was just one of the best things about this trip. The gardens were made according Buddhist design philosophy of simplicity and clean lines. There is only one way to move around the temple so we went to the souvenir stand and bought some gifts for friends. After this, we got back in the taxi and went to the Wat Chalong Temples.

I don’t know why but I didn’t read up on any of these places before going there and now I regret it. Wat Chalong is one of the most important of the 29 Buddhist temples in Phuket. The temples are made in honor of two highly venerable monks, Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, who led the citizens of Chalong Subdistrict fighting against the Chinese rebellion in 1876 and with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured (Source: Wikipedia). The place is so serene and beautiful, Amna and I walked around and offered a prayer in one of the temples. Soon after we made our way back to the hotel in the taxi and it started raining! It was so beautiful and calming and I kinda dozed off because the winding roads put you in a lull. Once we reached the hotel, we ate a nice meal at a family run restaurant called The Orchid, where I had Pad Thai for the millionth time (I think).

Day 4- Today I put my foot down and said we will hang out by the beach so I could read. Amna wanted to get her hair braided so we took the tuk-tuk to Patong where Amna got her hair did. We walked to the beach and laid out on a charpoi. It was a nice hour of lazing about and taking pictures where people thought we were posing for a catalog LOL. We then went back to The Artist because that’s how much we loved it and ordered a continental breakfast platter, beef with oyester sauce and because I was dying without caffeine, a latte. It was all so good and our server Mai, was simply the sweetest.

After this we walked around for a bit, eating fries from a roadside market and shopping for souvenirs. Though we decided not to go to the Trick Eye Musuem we had so much time to kill we thought why not? and hired a tuk-tuk for 1000 baht round trip and went anyway. And it was THE BEST! There were paintings made in a 3-D style and a spot for you to insert yourself in them so it seems like you are part of the painting. Entry was 500 baht which is kinda expensive but hey, YOLO. After taking a million pictures we came back to the hotel, got dressed up for a night on the town and went back to Bangla Road. Before that we had our last dinner in Phuket of biryani and chicken tikka (yes, I know, how original but hey, it was flavorful and spiced to perfection). The owner was nice enough to give us his card.

We got back to the hotel around 1:20 am and got ready to say bye to this lovely town and get up in the morning for our flight to Bangkok.

Please follow us on our personal accounts @atiya107, @amnaabbas and Amna’s Snapchat @amnaabbas for more pictures from our trip. Till part 2 which I hope goes up soon (fingers crossed).